


Sol e Lune

by sanbika



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Sailor Moon Fusion, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Crushes, Dark entity, Duty, F/M, Forbidden Love, Galaxy Garrison, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Rivals, Self-Sacrifice, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28781823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanbika/pseuds/sanbika
Summary: Secrets are hard to keep - especially when they concern the forbidden romance of two royal princes of the Sun and Moon kingdoms. Dalliances between the planetary kingdoms could disturb the peace of the universe. This is a tragic tale of two lost souls who only wish to love each other. What hope is there for Lance and Keith?Written for theEver After Zine. There is beautiful companion art byAimaduragonthat I will add if possible. But please check it out.Excerpt:
Relationships: Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: Ever After Klance Zine





	Sol e Lune

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy this Klance fairytale, a loving riff off of Sailor Moon's Endymion and Serenity. This also probably doesn't make much sense but it really doesn't have to as it is a fairytale. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> If you like background music, I suggest [Oblivion by Hauser](https://youtu.be/Z0DQxI3KM7o) or [Joe Hisaishi's Princess Mononoke Soundtrack](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIlI6APHtlWfJT4SPscgRABHfqOt6freX)

_Desolate_

Lance sat against the wall, his crystal chains clinking softly when he stretched up to look through the bars to see the waxing moon before it sailed out of sight. He chuckled to himself, remembering that he would not be able to watch it as he had grown accustomed to from a jail cell on the Moon itself.

The thought was bitter. Nothing soothed him like the moon. 

Well, one person did.

It had been a long night in his cell, in his armor with his legs chained up and little room to move, quite an uncomfortable one, at that. If he could picture the pure light of the moon on his face, he could feel the connection that bound him to his other half and breathe that much easier. 

His imprisonment was for show really. 

The Moon Kingdom would never treat another planetary royal like a criminal so his hands were unbound and he could break through the cold shackles on his legs if he wanted to, if he called the power of his crystal out, but Lance waited.

The night crept along and the sun rose, his own power strengthened, a warm, bright flame in his chest. With the sun came the anxiety and awareness of his own crimes and their impact.

Lance had known what they were doing was wrong and he would accept his judgment. 

He would face the court and tell them, show them that he and Keith were meant to be. That their love was not wrong. 

But as he thought this, uncertainty crept in. Lance gasped at the dark, cold feeling enveloping his heart, as swift and shocking as a knife. The room melted away as the dizzying, draining sensation overcame his senses. 

“Prince Lance?” the Lunarian guard called out from far away, as if underwater. There was a loud clanging and echoes of heavy steps across the tile stones before a firm hand clasped his shoulder. The man, Thace, was one of Prince Keith’s personal royal guards, and his touch was familiar and kind. “Are you well? Do you feel any pain?”

Lance shook his head, taking breath deep into his lungs for a few moments as he recovered, “It was nothing. It went away.” A trickle of sweat made its way down his temple as he grit his teeth, burning away the sickly grime the shadows had left behind with his sun energy. 

“You’re feeling it, aren’t you? The dark forces stirring, they’re already hurting you.”

Thace knelt in front of him, brows drawn as he placed a steadying hand on Lance’s pauldron. 

Lance had known him most of his life and as he caught his breath, he realized how even though this soldier belonged to the Moon kingdom, pledged to another royal family, he’d served his own family faithfully too, steadfast as he watched over the two princes raised as the best of friends. 

And the pain it caused him to see the young princes defy the laws and suffer for it was clear in the taut expression and drooped shoulders. He had known this man most of his life and it was awful to see the fear and worry that his own carelessness had placed upon this loyal soldier.

Thace met his gaze, pleading. “You must renounce your bond, Prince Lance. Our kingdoms have lived in harmony, ruled this galaxy together in peace for millennia. It will be painful, but our laws exist for a reason... And it may be improper of me to say so but I… I have known you since you were knee high. You are a good lad, Prince Lance. I know you will do your duty.”

Lance clasped the hand on his shoulder, offering an echo of a smile.

“I can’t, Thace, I simply can’t. Letting go of him would be no less than letting go of my heart.”

Thace’s grey eyes never wavered. 

“Prince, you know what’s at stake. The punishment for this is banishment. If you dare refuse, the darkness will grow unchecked in our galaxy, the chaos it would bring is unimaginable…. You risk our very lives with your dalliance.”

Lance knew and the pain and shame of it hit him all at once. His heart burned with sorrow and regret at bringing danger to his kingdom, to his beloved friends from the royal alliance and the good soldiers like Thace that he had grown up with, to the millions of the innocents he was to protect as the Sun King someday. 

To his precious Keith, for causing him pain and putting him in such a position.

He deserved banishment for his arrogance for that alone. He was stricken with tremors when he thought of it.

Lance smiled at Thace anyway, gently patting the other’s hand, hoping not to convey the turbulence of the emotions that disquieted him.

So, he thought of the only memories that could bring him peace, closing his eyes to calm himself.

“Please Prince Lance, think of your family and your duty. The Kingdom of the Sun, Prince Keith and the Moon Kingdom, the Planetary Alliance; all love you and rely on you, don’t throw your future, your duty away for folly.”

Thace continued to push, his voice shaking with emotion—too loyal, too earnest. 

But Lance’s thoughts had already returned to the pure glow that shone from the Moon Prince as his planet reflected off his skin, how the dark of his hair was illuminated by silvery beams.

How warm Keith’s crystal, his heart, burned when they embraced and how his dark eyes drew him in, left him speechless and wanting. 

How his own golden crystal, how the Sun itself, felt stronger and brighter than ever when the other prince was near. 

Lance opened his eyes to meet Thace then, realizing he might not be able to tell him with words why this conversation was fruitless... but he could show the other why he couldn’t abandon the Moon Prince, no matter how many laws or taboos they were breaking.

“Thace, thank you for your kindness, truly. I am going to show you something but please do not be afraid. Just look...”

Lance called his crystal forth, cradling his hands over his chest as a blinding light glimmered until a small, golden gem appeared. 

Thace drew in a breath at the famous Golden Crystal of the Sun, the most powerful crystal of the galaxy, matched only by the Moon’s Silver Crystal. Few had seen it, as it was only used to defend against the most dangerous enemies and invaders and for healing during disasters or war. 

To see it in person, so close and fiercely bright, would be terrifying.

Lance knew the other might be overwhelmed, that the feeling of the crystal alone could be shocking, so he kept the power in check, pulling its waves as close to himself as possible, noting their unusual strength and hoping that its energy would stay contained long enough for Thace to see what he was trying to show. The guard was stunned but said nothing. 

As the blinding dimmed and the crystal faded away, the prince stared at his old friend, searching his face as he waited for the other’s response. The man’s grip on his shoulder tightened and he was visibly shaken, stringing words together in a confusing jumble.

“Prince Lance…. The Golden Crystal has… but that’s impossible.”

Lance chuckled, his own heart heavy with the realization that by showing his crystal, he had chosen a path he could never return from. But he felt pity for Thace, for putting him through so much frustration and now, through such disappointment. Lance again patted the hand grasping him so steadily and smiled. 

“Do you remember Thace? The last time you were watching over me like this was when Keith and I had to face our parents’ punishment for teasing Pidge and hiding their family sword. We were always getting into trouble around you, weren’t we? I’m terribly sorry for the aggravation.”

The guard huffed a small laugh, leaning back to sit against the cell wall near him. Lance was fighting back tears at the kind gesture, thinking of his family and their shock and fear as they heard the news of his arrest, of his kingdom and the bright future he was meant to ensure, of running away from it all to some far-away planet. 

In between his own swirling regrets and the painful tendrils of the dark entities’ power, he steadied himself with memories of Keith’s low voice and the cool, softness of his touch. 

Thace stayed all night, his hand never straying from the prince’s shoulder. The two sat in the cell without speaking as the minutes dragged on, waiting for dawn.

  
  


_ Desperate _

Keith was roused from his bed before he was fully awake by celestial guards of the Lunar Kingdom in full military apparel. He caught his breath as he realized that the council meeting was his last chance to get anyone to listen, to hear him out. To stop the encroaching madness that he had feared for so long, while he had fallen for Lance’s earnest and bold love.

After dressing, he was escorted down the hall, casting his eyes across every open door and passageway, searching for that blazing golden glow, for his Lance.

I am coming, he thought with a surge of anger, and simmering underneath that, paralyzing fear. 

He turned his head to the guard on his left, James. They had trained together as children. 

“Where is he?”

James kept his head down, but his eyebrows furrowed. 

“The Sun Prince was kept in the dungeons. He agreed to it, as did the Sun Kingdom. He will be sentenced for his crimes today. All the kingdoms have gathered.”

Keith felt cold spreading throughout his body and the iron control on his celestial energy flicker. He eyed the crystalline tiles as he walked, the shapes he had memorized as a child passing under his feet as they walked towards the council room. Each step echoed like a bell and stirred memories of steps and jumps he’d beaten into the patterns with his closest friends, with _Lance_ , as he fought the tide of fear and anger that threatened to overwhelm him. 

He turned to the other guard, Kolivan, inspecting him with a critical eye. 

The man was a Lunarian he had only known for a short time, but he was honorable, renowned for his service to the kingdom. He had served under his father’s rule and fought by his side during the galaxy’s wars against foreign invaders only a few centuries ago, had lost an eye and almost his life, trying to save the king. 

He was too new, did not even know Keith yet or how wild he had been as a child. The prince toyed with the idea of shirking his guards and running to the dungeons to free his paramour. 

There had not been a royal born yet that was as fierce a warrior as he was and no one in history was as skilled at wielding the Silver Crystal. 

Keith was a prodigy, with natural talent and the anger from losing his father fueling his power. It was especially because of his and Lance’s gifts, their strong connections to their crystals, that their kingdoms had been able to unite and deter enemies from outside the galaxy. It was because of their strength that everyone had been experiencing long years of peace.

And now the court threatened to take his love away. 

He knew the law. They would be barred from ever seeing each other again. And if they disagreed, they would face banishment. 

Rage boiled in his chest and his gloved hands fisted at his side, itching to move to grab his blade or his crystal. 

He could force the guard back with a surge of his power, blinding them or pushing them away, brawling his way down to the dungeons to find Lance. 

He could go on the attack with his mother’s sword, sheathed on his hip, he knew to start with a slash to his right guard’s thigh (James needed to work on his reaction times and had an old injury on that leg). 

He could fight them off with the ice he felt rooting itself in his heart and steal Lance away from the kingdoms, and from the grave censure he knew awaited them both. 

He could rip them to pieces with ease. 

Keith slowed to a stop, terrified by the cruelty of his thoughts. There was no honor in the plans he had just made, no sign of himself and his own moral conscience. 

The feeling in his heart, in the center of his power had been so eerie, like something had clawed its way in, something foul and sinuous.

Keith breathed deeply, clutched his chest, aligning his energy, burning out any trace of darkness with the power he received from his crystal. 

Had he already become a target for the darkness? So soon? Despite his affection, his love?

The older guard shook his head as they walked, meeting Keith with a somber expression.

“There are laws, Prince Keith. There is an order to our universe, disturb that order, and it falls to ruin. There can be no intermingling of power or kingdoms. The order, the balance is crucial for our protection. Whenever it is disturbed, it is a period of danger, of war and terror.”

Keith shook his head, wanting to deny what Kolivan was saying but he could not. He had felt it just now and has been feeling it for days. A prickle, a pull of negative energy. Teasing him, his strange Galran blood the target, perhaps. 

“We all know this. Prince Lance broke the law. He entered your kingdom to court you, your powers merged. They grow out of balance. They call to the darkness. And he will be judged by the court for it.”

Keith felt heavier with each word and condemnation. It was the same thing his mother had said last night, and his heart pounded in his chest. 

Kolivan continued, “Your father would understand, Prince Keith, he married your mother despite being from deep space, a stranger to our galaxy and our kingdom. But what you and Lance are doing is dangerous for everyone.”

Keith felt chilled. He so badly wished his father were here to walk with him, to tell him how to handle what was coming. 

If it were a normal day, he would not tell a soul what he was thinking. He would argue his side and hope they would find a way to compromise. He would accept the consequences of his actions. He would find a way, a loophole. He would not hurt his kingdom or Lance. 

But something about the way that time slowed, about the slant of the sunbeams through stained glass windows representing the history of the moon kingdom, about his own intuition felt too real and inevitable. 

Keith finally choked out, desperate to be heard, for someone to find a solution, “We didn’t mean it. It just—he and I just… he is my heart. We didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

Kolivan spoke somberly, staring straight ahead as they neared the hall. 

“I hope he isn’t, my Prince. Or both of your fates are truly cruel.” 

_ Bonds _

Keith strode quickly with the head of the guard, nearly running, desperate to speak with his mother before the Altean and Galra Kingdoms arrived to make a ruling. Cold sweat broke out as he marched forward, fearful of things he would not name.

The sun was bright in the great hall, bouncing off the precious fixtures and illuminating the tall painted ceiling. The pearl tables and chairs had been drawn up as they would be for any trial, but his mind froze on the people in the scene, bodies tense and drawn. Keith was struck by the grief they had caused to mar their family and friend’s faces.

This was his galaxy, everyone here were family, friends, and advisers. The rulers from the other planetary kingdoms stood in an angry circle around the map of their galaxy, pointing at the dark shadows that had already started to settle into the corners and twist around and through orbits. They were afraid of another war, of chaos. Keith owed it to them to cast Lance aside, to acknowledge his mistakes.

But Keith was certain there was something to be done, something to change what seemed unstoppable. 

Surely fate would not match him with someone he was forbidden to love?

Lance stood across the hall in the dawn of his own element, the sunbeams around him wrapping him in a gentle glow. His eyes, so blue, so tender, flitted between his family around him and the Lunarian guards around him. The mercurial grin he had grown to love was still there, though smaller than he had ever seen it. 

The Lunar prince’s heart ached to see it. 

Lance always was charming, to his loved ones, to his people, to the subjects of other kingdoms. It was his kindness to others, even those who could not help him, that had shown Keith his true character. 

He raised his head and caught Lance’s attention, the anxious cast to his eyes, touching two gloved fingers to his lips and boldly raised them in a silent promise to their bond. The other prince flushed and put his own hand to his heart.

His mother, Krolia, sat by the front of the hall, near the dais where the council would deliver their ruling. His cousin Shiro close by on her right, and to her left a group of tall strangers he had never seen. Their elongated ears and white hair were too striking. These were the rulers of the Galra and Altean Kingdoms, guardians watching over deep space. 

Immortal, impartial judges who were mysterious and otherworldly. They wielded fearsome powers and appeared only rarely to save the planetary alliance from destruction.

He knew them from books and stories of their great and terrible deeds. Prince Lotor of the Galra with his mother, Witch Queen Honerva, and Princess Allura of Altea, a powerful alchemist and his bride. Their planets were shrouded and silent. And the three of them were awesome figures who had cut down the darkest evils that their galaxy had ever known.

Fear warred with fury in his stomach.

Keith ran ahead of his guards, glaring at the other royals gathered around the table as he made his way to the seat by his mother’s side, ignoring the disturbed looks of the council. 

The dazzling light was magnified by the marble room, around the dais where Keith had been pronounced Prince Regnant of the Lunarian Kingdom only a few months ago, off his mother, Queen Krolia, and her heavy amethyst gaze.

The weight of her cool judgment, and underneath that, grief, caused Keith’s heart to sink and he felt the impassive gazes of the visitors on him as well. 

Keith turned to gaze at his beloved, steadying himself. He was the Moon Kingdom’s Prince, their hope, and he had already betrayed their laws. And yet he could not condemn himself or Lance, despite their transgressions. How could love be hated? 

Honerva turned away from Keith’s loud entrance and walked forward to the dais. She wore a burnished crown and spoke coldly. 

“Let us come to order. I am here representing the Kingdom of Galra to act as judge, with my son, Lotor, and Allura of Altea, his bride. We have all felt the stirring of darkness due to these unlawful acts. There can be no delay. We here witness the judgment of Prince Lance, the heir and guardian of the Sun Kingdom who knowingly engaged in his unlawful and dangerous dalliance with Prince Keith of the Lunar Kingdom despite—”

Keith stood, drawing attention again, grasping for words. 

“Stop! Lance... Prince Lance deserves to speak on his own behalf.” Keith cried out, voice trembling as he tried to maintain his composure. Uncontrolled emotion would do no good here, with the alliance in an uproar, and these ancient warriors silently making their judgments.

“Sit down,” His mother’s quiet voice was formal and burned like molten silver. “This has escalated beyond discussion or defense. He was discovered with you, in your chambers. He, and you, know the law. However long this has been going on has put the entire galaxy in jeopardy. The council must act now.”

Keith swallowed, turning to see if perhaps the Prince and Princess had any sympathy for him. Would they understand? They had united the Galra and Altean Kingdoms millennia ago, stopped an endless war with love. Because their kingdoms existed in a symbiotic relationship, their love had not broken any laws and was not taboo, surely they would understand their plight?

But the two sat as still as stone, their hands gently linked, with no sympathy in their expression. He turned to Shiro, to his childhood friends from Mercury and Jupiter, who seemed stricken. His skin prickled as he remembered Kolivan’s words. His mother gazed up at him with an unusually open expression and damp eyes. 

This was not a trial, this was a sentencing.

The only way to save Lance would be to let him go. And the look on his mother’s face told him that she was trying to spare him pain. Didn’t she know, after the death of his father, that nothing could be more painful than losing Lance?

Keith licked his dry lips and spoke again, pleading, “The Sun Prince has always done his duty; he is beloved by his people and known for his goodness and largesse throughout the galaxy, his friendship and bond with other planets is unassailable. this was… this was only a mistake. An error. He would never harm his Kingdom or our galaxy.” 

His heart was breaking but he continued. “And besides, I participated too. I... I encouraged him to come here, I did not reject his advances. I should be punished too.”

Lotor spoke then, unyielding in expression and voice. “Prince Lance acted on his unlawful impulses first, he was seen arriving to this kingdom unannounced and in your chambers. He is responsible for this crime. And given the importance of his kingdom, and his own powers, he is solely responsible for the disturbances that have awakened the forces we fear. We are not just ruling on the law you’ve broken, but the effect it is having on our galaxy.”

Keith was desperate, the ice in his heart growing. He wanted to fight, to push back against the harsh words that spelled out the end of his and Lance’s love, of their permanent separation. The only future he could see was full of pain and loneliness. He could only clench his fist to prevent an outburst, unaware of a pulse of his power that emanated sharply through the room.

Honerva spoke, her voice tired and sad, as though she had said this many times before, “It is already affecting you, Prince. Chaos and darkness thrive in our meanest desires and create destruction out of even the purest feelings.” 

As she spoke, Keith was both stricken and defiant. Her words rang true as much as he desperately wanted them not to be. 

Honerva’s eerie eyes never left him, as if she could read the war raging in his thoughts and in his heart. “It won’t attack our realms outright, but it will infiltrate us secretly and silently. It will drive us apart and incite violence until our kingdoms rip each other apart. I have seen this before. Chaos nearly destroyed my own kingdom and that of Princess Allura. How long until it burrows into your heart and wields your sacred power in its name? How long until you hurt and kill those you are sworn to protect and defend?”

Keith growled, before being pulled back to his seat by his cousin and mother, ashamed of himself and shocked by his own anger. It was not working. Nothing he said was getting through to them. And worst of all, he feared that they were right. 

As Keith breathed deep, he felt a familiar tingle of warmth in his chest. Lance’s powers were so familiar to him, after so many nights spent in each other’s arms. He calmed gradually and looked across the hall to the other prince, hardly able to keep his fear at bay. He could not smile but he met Lance’s gaze steadfastly, waiting for the judgment. 

Allura gasped, falling into the embrace of the Galra Prince. He attended her immediately, sharp gaze softened for the first time. She drew the attention of the whole room as tears coursed down her beautiful, dark face. 

“We must rule justly and fairly. I believe the princes did not intend harm, but I fear I have divined something awful. Show me your crystal, Prince Keith. I want to see its purity.”

Keith did not understand what she meant, his crystal was known for its strength and power. He pondered what she could learn from simply looking at it, but at his mother’s touch, he pulled it out anyway. 

The Silver Crystal was drawn forth, a delicate flower gently floating above his hand, waves of the dazzling light drifted across the hall and the awed faces of the crowd. 

It was so bright that most shielded their eyes from its brilliance, except for those gifted with their own crystals and the visitors from deep space. Allura, sat up straight again, still clenching Lotor’s hands tightly, searching out every line of the crystal before sighing deeply.

“The Silver Crystal has not been corrupted. It is still pure.”

Lotor hummed, looking thoughtfully at Keith before looking to the other prince.

“Prince Lance, show us your crystal now.”

Keith took in a deep breath and hoped that once the council saw their powers remained incorrupt, they could move on to deal with the darkness. They could promise never to see each other again and he would resolutely commit to that vow. He would never put Lance at risk again, even if it killed him to the other up.

But Lance faltered from where he sat, fear creasing his handsome features before he clasped the pendant around his neck that the crystal lay dormant in. 

“I—” His voice was shaky, and he paused before leveling Keith with a look of heartbreaking sincerity, “I didn’t want you to find out like this.” 

He cast his hand out and the crystal appeared above it, but like nothing Keith had seen before. The gem was riddled with white lines and had changed from its simple diamond form to the flower shape... like Keith’s own crystal. Its power was unrestrained, sending out bursts and waves of pure energy in shifting golden and silver tones. 

Lance struggled to hold it and put it away, collapsing onto the table when he did. But his regretful gaze never left Keith’s. 

Lance’s mother and sisters cried out as he put it away, and Allura’s face was solemn. 

Keith sat in shock, thoughts awhirl as he tried to process why the crystal had changed and what would happen now that it had.

That change meant… it meant that Lance’s power had corrupted. It was no longer pure sun energy but was mirroring Keith’s moon energy now. It was impure now, forever. The council, they would—

“Keith, breath.” His mother whispered into his ear while Shiro gently patted his back. 

Whispers echoed around the hall and static flickered in the corners of his vision as the air filled his lungs in short gasps. 

Allura covered her eyes with her hands as Lotor comforted her. Honerva began to speak, for the first time looking affected by these events. 

“Prince Lance, you must have felt your power changing. Your crystal must be healed, the power of the sun must not be mingled with any other force or else the imbalance of powers will continue to grow. Even unintentionally, you have risked the peace of our kingdoms, the lives of your subjects.”

Lance turned away from Keith and looked down at the floor, stiller than Keith had ever seen him.

“I… I felt it. I knew something was happening every time I came to the Moon. But I did not know it would bring harm. I just, I couldn’t stop it.”

Lance did not look up again, but Keith felt the impact of every word with a simmering dread. 

Honerva turned to survey the room, humming softly. The sound did not quite cover Allura’s sobs which only drew Keith’s fraught nerves even tighter. Lotor was staring at him now, over the soft curls of the Princess’ luminescent hair but instead of seeming stony and dispassionate, his face was carved with something worse—pity. 

Honerva moved to stand in front of Lance and his family, her tone distressed.

“Prince Lance, Queen Solana, please understand that this sentence is not handed down lightly. To purify the sun crystal is imperative both to fight off the darkness now targeting our galaxy, but also to reinstate the crystal as one of our strongest powers. Prince Lance, your crystal will be stripped from you to be purified and passed on to the next worthy holder in your kingdom.”

Lance kept his head down, his mother’s arms grasping him tightly. Both were crying gently as they absorbed the weight of the judgment. 

But Lance’s sister, Veronica, spoke up, angry despite her tears. 

“That can’t be. You cannot just hand off the crystal to one of us. It’s linked to his life force.”

Honerva nodded slowly, gravely. She reached to gently hold the prince’s hand. 

“You’re right, the only way to establish balance, to fight off the darkness, and to purify the Golden Crystal is not to take the crystal from Prince Lance. The crystal’s connection to the prince must be severed to pass on. The sentence for his crime, terrible but avoidable, and the salvation of our galaxy is the death of the prince.”

_ Parting _

Keith’s awareness of the next few moments was spotty, drowned with static and a wave of deepest sorrow and rage, his heart pounding and vision greying. The hall echoed with shouts and whispers, pleading and murmurs that overwhelmed his senses. His hands, already at his sword and his crystal, were restrained by his mother and Shiro.

“Please,” his mother whispered, “Please wait, Keith. I will try to find another way. I do not know if you and the prince can be together, but I will do my best to ask them to spare his life. Just wait.”

The urge to attack, to destroy, almost overwhelmed him. He forced himself to remember that the darkness, chaos, thrived on this and he would have to fight against it with every breath and beat of his pulse. He focused on Lance, his warm, honey-sweet, love and took slow, deep breaths against the panic and fear that was surging inside.

As Keith’s awareness came back, he realized he was not the only one who had reacted. His friends, Pidge and Hunk, were also stopped from charging towards the council and Lance’s family and their closest Earth allies had surrounded him, seething and defensive. The sentence would not be allowed for such a well-loved ruler.

But Lance was wide-eyed as he gazed around the hall, his hand covering his mouth. It was as if he had seen a ghost. His gazed jumped from one group to another, and Keith’s followed, trying to discern what he was thinking. 

Allura raised her head, sorrow lining each soft word she uttered.

“You felt it then, Lance, didn’t you? You can sense the hearts around us being corrupted because your crystal, your heart, was first corrupted. It’s horrifying, to feel the goodness in us tainted.” 

Lotor joined her, face lined with worry. “I beg you, Prince, think of your duty before your heart. You and your family would condemn us all to centuries of war. This is not the first time chaos has been drawn to our universe, and each time the toll is terrible and great. We lost our fathers to such madness. Your fate is unfair and painful, but you would be a hero to—”

Keith struggled against Shiro and the Queen, grunting and angry, his crystal shining from beneath its pendant. He did not want to hurt anyone, but he would if it meant he could keep Lance. Nothing mattered as much as their love, not even their titles or their families. He gasped as he stopped the line of thought, terrified again by himself and his continued failure to keep the darkness at bay.

Lance stood then, alarmed, as though he had heard Keith’s private thoughts. He turned to look at Keith with his deep blue eyes again, the moon prince trembling, unable to stop cries he had been holding back. Lance held his hand out, kissing his fingers in their private gesture, and with sunbeams behind him, seemed almost like a dream, the same beautiful vision Keith had had when he first found him trespassing on the moon just to see him.

“I am so sorry to hurt you like this, my love. I am sorry I was so foolish to think I could break laws for my selfish desires. I accept the council’s judgment. Please no more of this. I will not be the reason you all lose yourselves to darkness. Quickly, I cannot be brave a moment longer. Let us not delay the inevitable but end this now.” 

Besides him, his mother and sister burst into a flurry of whispers, harsh and pleading. The rest of the court was silent, however, and everyone turned to Honerva, who merely nodded her head in acquiescence. 

Keith’s breath was gone, and violent sobs shook him as Lance stepped away from his family, offering kisses to them as he went. He lost time again, pushing off the hands of his family, staggering back, glaring at his friends’ sorrowful glances and the helpless wails of Lance’s family.

Why weren’t they stopping this? Why didn’t someone stop this? 

He caught up with time again as Lance discussed something with Lotor and Allura, who listened attentively. No longer fearsome immortals, the couple now looked as frail and exhausted as everyone else there. 

Not a person spoke as the sun prince strode out of the hall with the guards and council around him, towards the rose garden outside. Lance walked with a steadfast gait and resolve, and worst of all, a sweet smile on his face that Keith simply could not understand.

“Stop. Please don’t.” Keith gasped out, barely more than a whisper. The arms on him felt like steel bars as Lance walked out of sight.

“It’ll be okay Keith,” Shiro pleaded, but his grey eyes were troubled. He was never a good liar.

Parting

“Please,” Keith cried, “Don’t take him from me.”

His crystal hummed.

He pulled against his family with such ferocity that more of the Lunar guards hurried forward to secure him. But Keith felt a tug in his chest, a mix of the familiar silvery song of the Moon and the hazy, golden echoes of the Sun. 

Then no one was restraining him, instead he had phased out and appeared in front of Lance, Honerva’s face a blank slate as she sent a blast of purple energy towards them, Lance gasping in his ear. 

He’d have liked to have turned, to have embraced Lance fully, to look into those brave blue eyes and kiss him once more, but instead he fumbled behind him for the other’s hand, tangling their fingers together. Keith closed his eyes as the force crashed around him, blowing them back. He could only hear the sizzle and crackle of energy, a sharp, searing pain in his chest, and the cries from the royal court who had followed them outside. 

The next Keith knew he was stretched along the paving stones of the garden, the sky bright blue and clear above. The sun was overhead, and he smiled at its brilliance, coughing at the burning pain he felt as he breathed. He used the corner of his glove to wipe at his mouth, his army heavy and slow.

Turning he saw Lance sprawled on his back, eyes closed, nearly lifeless. A crimson pool spread behind his brown curls. He was motionless except for his gloved hand, inching along the stone towards him. 

“-eith.. I want to hold... your hand, Kei-” Lance murmured as his hand stretched blindly out.

Keith pulled himself slowly along the ground, his cracked chest plate digging into him. He was feeling cold and faint, but he wanted so badly to be with Lance, to hold him. 

“Hold on, I’m here.”

Keith fell back, strength nearly gone, when he was just close enough to see a small smile on his beloved’s face and covered the tips of Lance’s fingers with his own. 

“Your hand... so warm...” Lance did not stir, his clear and boisterous voice a mere whisper.

This world was cruel and heartless, but as he held a hand that grew colder, Keith could only gaze at the sun, its golden rays flooding him with memories of Lance’s echoing laugh and tender embrace. 

“I’ll find you again. I’ll never stop.” Keith promised as he felt Lance’s aura fade away.

The reminder made Keith close his eyes, tears hot against his cooling cheeks, heart torn asunder, but still so grateful to stay close to his other half, his own sun, the soft hand he clasped as tightly as he could. 

A smile stole across his face as sound and light and thoughts drifted away.

_ Reunion _

Lance groaned as he surveyed his most recent solo simulator scores. He’d only been at the Galaxy Garrison for a few weeks, but he’d hoped that he’d be picking this up a lot faster. The results weren’t bad for a first-time score, but there was no way he’d be moving up from cargo to fighter class unless he aced it. And he hadn’t even tried the team simulator yet. 

“Ugghhh,” he groaned, crumbling the results into a paper ball and tossing it over his shoulder. “I need to lift my spirits… wonder if anyone has a gaming system I could borrow…” He started to walk down back to the dormitory building when a voice gritted out, “Watch where you throw your trash. You just hit me in the face with it.”

Lance shuddered, praying it wasn’t a senior officer and preparing his best conciliatory smile and salute as he turned around when he stopped midway through. Across from him was another cadet, one he’d seen glimpses of with the other fighter pilot candidates, but more important he had one of the most handsome and perfect faces Lance had ever seen, silhouetted by the hazy late afternoon sun. 

His mouth dropped as he took in creamy skin, velvety black hair, and deep, indigo eyes, stuttering aloud as he processed. The other’s eyes widened as if he was having his own issue and for a moment Lance felt a memory pulling at him, a sorrow and affection he’d never known before flickering in the back of his mind and his hand moved on its own to clutch at his chest. 

The other cadet was frozen solid for several moments, as if he was lost in his mind or a memory, before coughing and unfolding the paper in his hands, a blush warming his cheeks and his eyes traveling over the results. 

Lance had to know. There was something about this person that was so familiar.

“Do I know-”

“A 71? My first time, I got an 85. You’re going to have put in a lot more practice time if you want to stay here.”

Lance was the one blushing now, as goosebumps covered his arms and red-hot embarrassment distracted him from whatever silliness he’d been indulging in before.

He scoffed and grabbed at the paper, waving his arms over his head in agitation.

“Excuse you, you, you mullet! I’m a new student and this was my first try! Besides, that’s my private property and you have no right to be lecturing me, just who do you think you are! Why, I, the nerve!”

Lance stuttered out, infuriated and annoyed at being judged when he’d been feeling almost mushy over a complete stranger.

The other boy huffed out a laugh, a strange look in his eyes, almost fond.

“I’m Keith Kogane, ranked first for fighter class. Let me know if you need any pointers. And next time, don’t throw your “private property” at people if you don’t want them to look at it.”

And cool as a cucumber, Keith Kogane walked off, with a lazy wave and a wry “see you around, Lance.” 

Lance didn’t know whether to stomp his foot on the ground or fan himself. 

There was just something so irritating… and fascinating about that guy. 

He’d have to keep a close eye on him. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This took quite a lot of effort over many weeks, so please be kind and leave a comment if you enjoyed it! 
> 
> I'll give drabbles to anyone who spots typos at 50 words a typo and leaves them in a comment ;)


End file.
